


Handprints

by Okikage



Category: Digimon Adventure Zero Two | Digimon Adventure 02
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Depression, Food Porn, Getting Together, Ichijouji Ken’s Memory is Swiss Cheese, Light Angst, M/M, Memory Issues, New Years, Post-Canon, Rejection, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Watching Someone Sleep, shrine visits
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-23
Updated: 2020-03-23
Packaged: 2021-03-01 02:42:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,484
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23278039
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Okikage/pseuds/Okikage
Summary: Ken has fingerprints on the side of his hand. They are bright red splotches on his ghostly skin, and he used to think they meant something, before.He shakes so many people’s hands, so many grip him over the marks, anywhere that would confirm in their mind some ridiculous “connection”.Honestly, Daisuke’s handshake is just a blip on the radar, he barely remembers doing it after the Chosen beat him, he strips off the Kaiser persona and his mind shatters.Daisuke loves his mark. It’s a pretty violet, nearly to the back of his hand as they rest together. He likes to think about how it will happen, maybe a nice, firm handshake from a teammate for a job well done, maybe saying hello to a pretty new classmate.When Ichijouji Ken accepts his hand and slots perfectly into those beautiful violet shapes, Daisuke covering the red he spotted earlier, his heart jumps into his throat. It was perfect, absolutely perfect, and then Ken was the Kaiser and there was no way it was him and then it was, confirmed in his mind by a pounding in his chest and a melding of their Digimon.
Relationships: Ichijouji Ken/Motomiya Daisuke | Davis Motomiya
Comments: 9
Kudos: 39
Collections: Daiken Discord Server





	Handprints

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Anatui](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anatui/gifts).



> Happy birthday to both me and Anatui, I'm late but in my defense those animals weren't gonna cross themselves.
> 
> This is like an AU-lite, where everything is the same except everybody has soulmarks of handprints where they're first touched by their soulmate. So suddenly Ken and Daisuke's handshake has EVEN more importance.

Daisuke breathed for the first time since they punched into the digital world, BelialVamdemon dissolving into black dust. He might be back some day, he’d disappeared like this before, but for now it was over. He looked over at Ken and knew what to do next.

“Ken.” Daisuke grasped Ken’s hand, where four red blotches stood out, perfectly covered. Ken looked at him with shimmering blue-violet eyes, nearly a perfect match to Daisuke’s own Mark.

“You did it.” Ken smiled so gently, holding his other hand over his heart. He could probably still hear Daisuke in his chest, the echoes from their Jogress propelling Daisuke forward.

“We did it together.” Daisuke leaned into Ken’s face, getting closer and closer until everyone was interrupted by Iori and Oikawa.

That was okay. He would have the rest of his life to kiss Ken, for the first time and every time after that. They were Soulmates, after all.

Daisuke didn’t want to stop holding Ken’s hand as they went home. It was kind of awkward, since he very specifically wanted to hold his right hand and slot Ken’s fingers up against his Mark, ending up sort of encasing his whole arm in a hug so they could walk straight.

“Motomiya? Are you okay?” Ken looked at him with furrowed brows.

“I couldn’t be better.” Daisuke smiled and dropped his head onto Ken’s shoulder.

“...Okay. You’re just...not usually  _ this _ physical.”

“I’m just happy. We can really  _ be _ together now.” Daisuke turned his face just enough to press his lips to Ken’s ear.

Ken stepped away, eyes wide. “Wha-what are you talking about?”

Daisuke grabbed Ken’s wrist, turning his hand palm-down and putting his fingers over Ken’s Soulmark. “We belong together, Ken. I know we’re -“

Ken snapped his hand back like Daisuke burnt him. “No. No, no, no, no,” he whispered over and over as he stepped back, turning and running away.

* * *

_ “Osamu-nii-chan?” _

_ ”Ken-chan? Why aren’t you asleep yet?” _

_ ”I can’t. I keep thinking.” _

_ ”What about?” _

_ ”Those gray spots on Mama’s arms. She got sad when I asked about them.” _

_ ”...” _

_ ”Osamu-nii-chan?” _

_ ”People don’t like to talk about those, Ken-chan. You shouldn’t bring them up.” _

Ken laid in bed, not asleep, but holding Leafmon close to his chest, who was dozing. He wished he could just go to bed, drift off after a too-full day, but his mind wouldn’t turn off.

Daisuke thought they were Soulmates. He lifted his hand to his face, staring at the horrid red, like blood he could never wash off. He didn’t want to think there was actually a match out there for him.

He didn’t want to drag Daisuke down with him.

He barely remembers when they must have first touched, for Daisuke to think that. He remembered with crystal clarity the baby Digimon that slid in and out of his consciousness at the time and not much else. He must have shook Daisuke’s hand, like the hundreds of other people the Genius Boy greeted every day.

They all blended together.  _ Daisuke _ shouldn’t blend together with anyone.

* * *

Daisuke paced tightly in front of the phone, listening to it ring over and over again. His parents and Jun weren't awake yet, and he needed to get a hold of Ken before coming over. Or maybe it would be more romantic if he just went? He was really regretting not watching those terrible romance movies with Jun back when she still asked if he wanted to, instead of just doing whatever she wanted anyway and him ignoring her on principle.

“Hello?” Ken’s mother came across the line, sleep-addled.

“Hi, sorry Mrs. Ichijouji, this is Daisuke.”

“Daisuke-kun? Why are you calling so early?”

“I was wondering if I could come over and see Ken today?” Daisuke played with the phone cord, twisting it around his fingers, staring at the violet just below them on his palm.

“Oh of course! We were going to Hatsumode today, I’m sure Ken-chan would love you coming along.”

Daisuke felt bubbly, and got ready in record time, pulling on a sweater and completely inappropriate for the weather shorts, leaving a note for his family. They would understand. Hatsumode with your Soulmate was way more important.

The train took  _ forever _ , Daisuke nervously tapping his foot on the floor of the car with no particular set rhythm. So his first foray into getting with Ken didn’t go great. He had to adjust. Figure out what Ken was saying ‘no’ to.

Did Ken not realize they were Soulmates? That might be it. Daisuke could clear that up easy.

He ran up the steps to Ken’s apartment, absently rubbing his hand, and rang the buzzer in front of the Ichijouji residence.

Mrs. Ichijouji answered, ushering him in with a kind smile that was obviously where Ken got his. “Ken’s still asleep, you can stay in the living room. Have you eaten breakfast yet?”

Daisuke was soon inundated with some bread and a rice ball, along with a couple of cookies. He was a growing boy, apparently, and Mrs. Ichijouji was trying to get him seconds when Ken appeared in the opening between the entryway and the living room.

“Motomiya?” His sleepy confused voice was so cute.

“Hey!”

“You’re...in my house?” Ken didn’t move from the doorway.

Daisuke rubbed the back of his head and giggled nervously. “Yeah, I, uh. I’m coming to hatsumode with you?”

Ken sighed, still unmoving from his planted spot. “I guess you are then.”

“Come sit with me?” Daisuke patted beside himself on the couch, very obviously flashing his right hand. Ken flinched, but slowly marched over, sitting on the very edge of the cushion and ready to bolt.

Daisuke leaned into his personal space, not quite touching. “You know, my Mark came in really early.”

Ken swallowed audibly, clasping his hands behind his back in what was definitely an uncomfortable position. 

“It happened right after I got caught up in Vamdemon’s invasion of the real world.”

“Daisuke, please -“

“We were always going to be Chosen together, that’s why it was early. Some crazy crossover with however the digital world does its thing.”

“Stop.” Ken stood up and crossed the room, pacing and unable to focus his gaze on any one thing in particular.

Daisuke fell silent, trying very hard to understand. Finding your Soulmate was a good thing, but Ken was acting like it was the end of the world. It hurt, a lot. Knowing, deep down, that Ken was the One and being rejected like this was way worse than when he thought it came in early because he met Hikari the start of 3rd grade and she didn’t Fit. He knew he was right this time. “But we’re Soul-“

“Don’t talk about it!” Ken snapped. “Please.”

This was not how Daisuke expected it to go. His more intense fantasies always involved grabbing their hand and saving them from some danger, like a pit or quicksand, and then falling into each other’s arms. He thought at least Ken would feel the same - hadn’t they felt each other’s hearts? 

They were really young. Maybe Ken just wasn’t ready. He could wait.

“Okay. Let’s get ready to go to the shrine!” He jumped up from the couch, stretching his arms.

* * *

_ ”Ken-chan? What are you doing - oh no!” _

_ ”It won’t come off, Osamu-nii-san. I keep washing and trying but it won’t come off!” _

_ ”This is - this isn’t a bad thing, Ken-chan.” _

_ ”But if we aren’t supposed to talk about it isn’t it bad?” _

_ ”No, no, it’s just personal. It’s actually a very good thing.” _

_ ”What does it mean?” _

_ ”It means...that someday, someone is going to grab your hand and never let go.” _

Ken was on edge the entire shrine trip. He shrunk away from Daisuke, who at least wasn’t trying to hold  _ that hand _ anymore. He washed his hands outside the main shrine area, held his left hand to his mouth, but he still felt dirty. His kimono was uncomfortably big, tied up to fit him better.

Daisuke had borrowed their...other young boy’s kimono. He didn’t want to think about it. Mama had teared up.

He rang the bell, threw the coins, bowed and prayed. For forgiveness, for amnesty, for something he could  _ do _ to escape the red in his ledger, the blood on his hands, the black waves swallowing him whole.

Daisuke broke through his thoughts, grabbing his shoulder and leading him to the new year’s wishes.

“What are you going to write?” Daisuke asked him, picking out his own ema.

Ken stared at the picture of a cute, wooly sheep. He wrote one word - 赦免. He didn’t even know he knew those kanji, pulled out of the back of his head where memories lay mostly inaccessible.

Daisuke looked over at his work and whistled. “What’s that mean?”

“Absolution.”

“Abso-what-now?”

“It’s like...asking for forgiveness.” Ken felt Daisuke pull him into a hug, but he didn’t grab his hand. He relaxed, back-to-front with Daisuke, head falling back to his shoulder.

“I forgave you a long time ago.”

But Daisuke  _ shouldn’t _ have forgiven him so easily. Daisuke only forgave him because he thought a couple splashes of color on their hands matched. Daisuke wasn’t the only person he hurt.

* * *

The shrine trip went well. Daisuke wanted so badly to get one of the Soulmate charms they were selling, but didn’t want to scare Ken off again. Instead, they picked up their fortunes.

Great Luck. Daisuke whooped out loud, showing off his perfect fortune to Ken, who hid his own.

“Ooh, no luck? Let’s find a place to tie it off.” Daisuke almost grabbed Ken’s hand, before veering to an elbow and taking them to the tree.

Ken let the presumably bad fortune go, tying it to the branch with a gentle touch. “Anything else you want to do? Mama and Papa will be a bit longer, they’re getting this year’s arrows.”

“Let’s check out the booths!” Daisuke led Ken out of the main shrine and back into the trail of booths that sat just outside and along the winding paths up to it.

Daisuke got a stick of candied strawberries, offering one to Ken, who bit into it and cracked the outer shell, losing some of it to the ground. He looked so flustered and embarrassed, Daisuke wanted to lean up and kiss him. He started in and Ken took a step back, demanding they check out the next booth.

* * *

_ ”Teacher gave a special lesson today because of my hand.” _

_ ”Yeah?” _

_ ”She made Soulmates sounds really nice, so why is Mama so sad?” _

_ ”...Mom and Dad don’t Match, Ken.” _

_ ”But Teacher said-“ _

_ ”Some people don’t match and that’s okay. I - I don’t even have one. I’m late.” _

_ ”Does that mean Osamu-nii-san...won’t find someone?” _

_ ”...Probably.” _

Daisuke came over every day the week after New Year’s. Ken would have been so happy if it wasn’t because of the Mark.

They did normal stuff. Played games and watched TV and movies, without the impending weight of the world on their shoulders. Ken tried to adjust to this new world, where they didn’t need to constantly go into the digital world and clean up his messes.

And sometimes...Daisuke would lean in, smiling, and Ken wanted to fall into his eyes but he  _ couldn’t _ .

Things came to a head the second Saturday of Daisuke trying to move into his house.

“Can I stay over tonight?” Daisuke asked for the tenth time, looking at Ken like he was the world.

“I dunno...”

“Please, Ken? I want to see you more.” Daisuke leaned in again and -

Mama came in with some snacks. “What’s the matter, Daisuke-kun?”

“Can I stay over tonight?”

She looked completely overwhelmed. “Of  _ course _ it’s okay with me, dear. You don’t have to worry, Ken-chan.”

Ken averted his eyes, unable to look at Daisuke anymore. He mumbled his thanks to his mother, who didn’t understand just what she’d gotten him into.

Ken’s heart was hammering as he helped Daisuke lay out the guest futon, awkwardly hovering by his ladder up to the loft. Daisuke came close, his hand reaching out -

Ken knocked into the ladder, hissing as one of the rungs collided with his back. He clutched his right hand to his chest, breathing heavily.

He could almost see a frown on Daisuke’s lips. “We don’t have to - do anything about it, y’know. Like, I obviously want to be with you -“

“Do you know how many people I’ve shaken hands with, Daisuke?” Ken interrupted him, not wanting to have this conversation but feeling it getting closer every second.

“No? I mean, I’ve shaken quite a few myself.”

“Hundreds. Maybe thousands, I stopped counting and stopped looking.” Ken could feel his fingernails digging into his palm but he couldn’t stop, he needed the pain.

“But they weren’t me!” Daisuke hesitated, taking a step back. “Didn’t you feel something?”

“I didn’t really feel much of anything then.”

Daisuke fell silent, closing his eyes in frustration. He crossed and uncrossed his arms, picked at his pajamas. “Obviously I meant after all that.”

Ken didn’t respond, too busy staring at the red dots on the side of his hand, listening to the hammering of his heart in his throat.

“I didn’t want you to be my Soulmate at first.”

He should say something.

“But then I found your heart.”

He didn’t want to hear or talk about this.

“When we Jogressed, that was probably when I realized it was you.”

“It’s not real.”

Daisuke stopped rambling, blinking owlishly. “What?”

“You don’t - you think you love me because of  _ this _ .” Ken spat venom, uncurling his hand and showing off his mark, plus four deep indentations from his nails. “But that isn’t  _ real _ love.”

“Are you kidding?” Daisuke actually  _ laughed _ .

“No I’m not! I’m unlovable, don’t you see that?”

“Ken.” Daisuke grabbed his hand, covering his Mark perfectly. “I don’t love you  _ because _ we’re Soulmates.”

“There’s nothing to love about me  _ except _ that.”

“That’s a lie,” Daisuke whispered, inching closer to him, and he didn’t have to strength to do the right thing and push him away.

Daisuke pulled him close, and despite being shorter managed to envelop him in a powerful hug, Ken’s forehead resting on his shoulder. Daisuke was warm, the pressure from his hands branding Ken’s shoulder blades.

He was too tired to deal with this, much too happy smelling his own sandalwood body soap on Daisuke’s skin, and it would be wonderful if it wasn’t because of his  _ stupid hand _ .

“I’ll prove it to you tomorrow. Every time you do something that makes me love you, I’ll tell you. Would that make you happy?”

“Very much.” Ken didn’t deserve it, but it would make him very, very happy.

They went to sleep soon after, or at least laid in their respective beds. Ken listened to Daisuke’s deep, even breathing even as he stared up at his ceiling for what felt like hours.

* * *

Daisuke woke up first, and snuck a look at Ken’s sleeping form, his face totally relaxed, long eyelashes brushing his cheeks and his hair for once not carefully combed, blue-black strands spread behind him on the pillow. He looked, finally, completely carefree, instead of thinking a million thoughts that Daisuke desperately wanted to hear.

He started feeling like a voyeur after minomon woke up, and innocently asked, “What’cha doin’, Daisuke?” And he did not have a good answer.

“Just...watching.” Daisuke blushed and climbed down off the ladder to get away from any other prodding from minomon. He did lift Chibimon up so the two of them could cuddle.

By the time he was done getting ready, Ken had been woken up by two laughing Digimon bouncing on his chest. He didn’t say anything to Daisuke, just shot him a look like a scared baby deer as he darted into the bathroom.

When they entered the kitchen, Ken immediately began helping his mother with breakfast, organizing the bowls of rice and fillings, keeping watch of the miso soup.

Daisuke sidled up and whispered to him, “I love that.”

“What?” Ken startled from the simmering bowl of veggies.

“I love how you just jump in to help people out.” Daisuke sat down at the counter, watching Ken’s face go red.

“It’s just proper manners. Anyone would do it.” Ken mumbled into the soup, taking it off the heat to wait for the miso.

“Would you like to help make some onigiri, Daisuke-kun?” Mrs. Ichijouji interrupted their little reverie.

“Would I!”

The row of completed onigiri grew as the three of them worked, Daisuke letting his fingers brush the back of Ken’s hand as they dipped their hands in the vinegar water. All Ken’s triangles were so perfect, so gently and carefully pressed together.

“Hey,” Daisuke whispered in Ken’s ear. “I love how you make onigiri.”

Ken snorted. “What does that even mean?”

“You’re really gentle, and precise, you just put so much care into it.”

“I’m...gentle?” Ken stopped working, staring at his hands.

“Well, yeah, it’s kinda a defining Ken feature and I really like it.”

Ken backed away from the counter, breathing hard. “Osamu used to say that.”

Mrs. Ichijouji stepped in, leaving Daisuke floundering as she hugged Ken close. “He was a very smart boy, seeing such a great thing about you, Ken-chan.”

“Yeah.” Ken seemed like he was okay, hugging his mom back. “He was.”

Daisuke didn’t know what to do with his hands. He stood stock still, unsure. He didn’t know how to deal with the mountain that Ken carried on his back and he wanted to help so bad, it was the most important thing in the world to take some of that burden away and help carry it.

They finished up making the onigiri, putting the extras away and picking one each to eat with their miso soup for breakfast, the awkwardness slowly dissipating into the atmosphere. Ken smiled, and laughed, and Daisuke’s heart felt full seeing it, knowing that he was seeing something special that others didn’t get to.

“What do you want to do now?” Ken asked offhandedly, like the gears in his head weren’t turning around eight different ways this day could go.

“Let’s play some soccer.”

“Really?” Ken laughed, but his eyes were sparkling with excitement. “It’s seven degrees outside.”

“Moving’ll keep us warm.”

Which is how they ended up at the closest park, Ken holding his soccer ball under the crook of his arm like it always belonged there. He was wearing his soccer shorts and a cute blue sweater with what might be snowflakes paired with his favorite white scarf, and it looked a little bit silly and a lot a bit beautiful.

They warmed up for a while, just kicking the ball around and running after each other, and Ken strips off the scarf at least, leaving it beside the pitch. He is clearly giving his all, and Daisuke is able to keep up much better than he did over half a year ago.

Distracted by that thought, Daisuke missed Ken stealing the ball and calling out, “We going to play for real, Motomiya?”

Ken made soccer look elegant, like an intricate dance, the way he moved and calculated each strike. Daisuke tried to not get too distracted and stay in the game himself, but ended up calling it 3-2 in Ken’s favor.

They flopped down on the grass together, and Daisuke said, “I love that you always give things your all.”

Ken was quiet for longer than normal. “I have to....now.”

Daisuke suddenly shot into alert, trying not to show it too much. “Yeah?”

“It’s weird.” Ken stared up at the bright sky. “I remember things being easier. But it feels like I didn’t actually  _ do _ those things, sometimes.”

Daisuke cupped Ken’s face, leaning over him. “I like the hardworking Ken a lot.”

Ken started crying, shivering in the cold. “Daisuke, I want it to be true.”

“It is true. You’re my Soulmate  _ because _ I love you.”

“Don’t - don’t say that. I don’t... _ want _ a Soulmate. But I think I want you.”

“We don’t have to use that word, if you really don’t like it,” Daisuke conceded, “But you have to believe I love you because you’re you.”

“I’ll....try.” Now that they weren’t moving, Ken was clearly getting cold in the January chill without his ridiculous layering of clothes. They got up and he retrieved his scarf, intent to walk back to Ken’s apartment.

Daisuke leaned into his side. “Can I hold your hand?”

“No.” Ken gave a full-body shiver and clenched his fist around where his Mark sat.

“Can I hold your  _ left _ hand?”

Ken considered, his head tilting left to right with a pensive look. “...Okay.”

Daisuke walked Ken back to his apartment and gave him a peck on the cheek, pulling back with a blush and a full-face smile. He said goodbye and smiled the entire train ride back to Odaiba.


End file.
